Tsalüsma

Oh, sure, the other Strelish capitals are beautiful. Masterworks of form and function. But none of those were built for their purpose - they had to claw their success from the haphazard houses and winding streets. We, we got to design from the ground up. Sure, it took damn near the whole city burning down, but look at it now!

— Na-ochayo socialite

Tsalüsma is the current capital city of the Republic of Na-ochiixid, though not the largest city in the republic. Once the capital of the Kingdom of Na-ochiixid, it was destroyed in 21 Collision during the brutal Kostra Massacres, and was only restored to its former glory in the last two centuries.

History

Tsalüsma was originally the city of Koströzma, and the jewel of a vast kingdom under the control of the Na-ochii Kings. Their royal palace sat at the city's core, surrounded by a noble quarter and overlooking the bustling lakeside port. For the seven centuries of continuous royal rule, it was always at the centre of political life.
When The Collision struck, the city was devastated. The noble quarter saw many of its mansions disappear into thin air, the neighbouring merchants quarter saw shops replaced with haphazard elven homes, and the lakeside districts were flooded. Part of the royal palace was destroyed, forcing the family to relocate until repairs could be made. Due to the extent of the destruction and ensuing confusion throughout the country, renovations to the noble quarter were delayed, finally being finished a decade later. No state-sponsored repairs came to the lakeside or merchant districts, fostering the growing republican sentiment.
This came to a head in the Kostra Massacre of 21 Collision, in which the royal family were dragged from their homes and killed in the streets. This escalated to include all nobles within the city of Koströzma, and the noble quarter was set alight. These flames soon burnt out of control, razing most of the city to the ground, with only some of the elven and lakeside districts surviving. As the revolution took hold of the country, those in charge left the city behind, moving the capital away. They did leave the city with one thing, that being its new non-royalist name of Tsalüsma.
Tsalüsma was left in a state of disrepair for many decades, as the new Republic struggled to keep the country together. Attention and money only flowed back into it upon the restoration of the monarchy in 56 Discovery, with the King having every intention to return to Tsalüsma once it became a great city again. Significant strides were made in this direction over the next 80 years under the reign of him and his successors, though a large plot for left vacant for the rebuilt royal palace. The monarchy was deposed before it could be built, and the second Republic decided to take advantage of the space to build a new parliament building. After some delay due to plague, Tsalüsma was restored to its position as capital in 38 Famine.

Alternative Name(s)

Koströzma (former name)

Type

Capital

Inhabitant Demonym

Tsalusmayo

Districts

Tsalüsma is not formally divided into districts, but its residents refer to various areas as being part of one. How many areas of the city there are depends on who you ask and how granular you get, but the basic list includes;

• The Lakeside District. It is the oldest part of the city and straddles the shoreline, with most of the buildings on stilts to avoid damage in floods.
• The Elven District. The second oldest region of the city, formed during the Collision. Is architecturally distinct and full of parks and trees.
• The Government District. The newest part of the city, built during the Na-ochii Restoration. A wealthy area of the city, with wide open roads and grid layout.

Valley by Timo Wagner